ABSTRACT
Sources: NEWMAN [1992], pp. 136-141 (1695-1780); ODDY [1805], pp. 135, 197 (1695, 1710, 1763, 1788-1805); HELLER [1983], pp. 250f. (1769-1814); RASCH [1965], p. 61 (1784-1804); StA Hamburg, 621-1, C. Zeller, B 10, vol. 1 (1796-1799) and vol. 2 (1800-1802): Exchange rate current of St Petersburg (1796); SUB Göttingen: Ot Gosudarstvennoj Kommerz-Kollegii Prejskurant, ili sostojanie cen pri Sanktpeterburgskom Porte Inostrannym i Rossijskim tovaram 1800 goda Ijunja 26 dnja (June 26th 1800 old style); KELLY [1811] II, p. 112 (1807); V. EICHBORN [1928], table XIX after p. 288 (1810); Riksarkivet Stockholm, Strödda kamerala handlingar, vol. 24: Pris-Courant i St. Petersburg (1813); Neue Hamburger Börsenhalle (1815-1905); The Economist, London (1906-1914); SWOBODA [1913], p. 565 (1912). Concordance: HStD XII, pp. 365-383; WdW I/III, pp. 455-474
Currency: After the currency reform of 1698/1704 the Russian currency system followed Western models: the silver rouble of 100 kopecks, which contained 24.20 grammes of fine silver, was accepted as a great silver coin in Western Europe, and the Russian Empire “became a hard currency area” (NEWMAN [1992], p. 127). In 1731 the fineness of the rouble was reduced to 20.75 grammes of fine silver and to 17.90 grammes in 1762, the latter being acknowledged by the ukaz of October 3rd 1790 after the attempt had failed to rase the fineness to 25.40 grammes of fine silver on the basis of the ukaz of January 20th/February 1st 1790. On June 20th/July 2nd 1810 the rouble was fixed at 17.996 grammes of fine silver. Moreover, the bank assignations (assignacii), the so-called banco rouble or assignat rouble, which had been issued by the government, were legal tender in Russia since the ukaz of December 29th 1768/January 10th 1769. From 1786 the paper money served as credit paper of the state. In cashless payments bills of exchanges might not be accepted if they were not payable in silver roubles but in banco roubles (ELSTER [1930], pp. 2f.). Nevertheless, at Saint Petersburg all transactions were done in banco roubles (ODDY [1805], p. 137), and, therefore, the quotations were effected in this paper money as well.
